Christmas Proposal
by Jaded Angel
Summary: My Belated XMas Story. Go figure. Set in the future, J/H, E/D, and of course antics from our favorite Kelso and Fez. Lol. I love Drunken Fez. Nothing too much, just a little XMas thing for all my Zennie's stockings! R&R, Happy Readings. Happy Holidays!


**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters from That 70's Show. Nor do I own That 70's Show. Yay me!

**Author's Note:** Dude, I so totally finished something that I'm proud of. Yay me!! So, anyway, it's a little late, and it's a little, I don't know weird. But, whatever, it's my Christmas That 70's Show story. Whatever. The characters may seem a little out of sorts and there's a large creative license taken on many, many a thing. Just don't read too much into it. It's suppose to be a cute little X-mas thing. So. Hope you Enjoy. R&R Happy Readings. Hopefully I'll get a chapter of Thick as Thieves out during this coming week ;)

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**Meet Me Under the Mistletoe.**

**December 24th, 1985**

Jackie ran around her apartment like a headless chicken. The tree was decorated, minus the tinsel. The place was spotless, if you ignored the over piling tower of clean clothes on the couch. Her outfit was perfect, save for the missing button she was suppose to have sewn back on the night prior. And everything was as it should have been, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

"Steven! I swear to god!" The curly haired man stuck his head out from his girlfriend's bedroom. He looked at her, smirked, and popped his head back in. "I'm changing!"

"Oh, no you aren't!" This seemed to alert the man of danger, causing him to move out of the bedroom. "It took you an hour to pick _that_ outfit out."

"There's a button missing. And I thought I asked you to put all of this away?" She gestured towards the pile of clothes that looked like the leaning tower of Piazza.

"I'll do it when we get home from the Forman's." Jackie scoffed.

"Ste_ven_, we both know you're going to be drunk when we get home from the Forman's."

"Then I'll do it tomorrow." He smiled and kissed her on the forehead, moving in front of the hallway mirror. His tie was a brilliant red, almost perfect, except for the fact it was still untied.

"You said that yesterday, and the day before that." She scoffed and scurried into her bedroom. The sound of her closet door being thrown open echoed across the apartment.

Hyde simply rolled his eyes, giving his tie one last pull.

"Honestly, you're acting as if we haven't seen these people in decades. It's been, what? Two weeks?" He gave himself a smile and then walked past the bedroom towards the kitchen.

"I just want to look presentable!" She screeched from deep with-in the closet. He rolled his eyes once again and shifted to get the kink from his neck.

"This isn't going to be like Thanksgiving, where you volunteered me to say grace, will it?" He asked loudly. "Because I won't go if it is." He murmured quietly.

"No, I just want us to look good. Eric and Donna are expecting the baby in two months. We have _nothing_."

He shrugged, taking in the red dress that hugged his girlfriend's body. She looked like a fresh ruby, waiting to be shown off.

"You look pretty." Jackie did all but bear her teeth as she stared at him, placing on her favorite black shoes.

"You're another one." Grabbing her purse, she made her way out the door.

"Another what?" Hyde asked in confusion. He allowed the door to gently shut behind him.

---

Jackie stared at her best friend as a group of neighbors crowded around her and her swollen stomach. There was a blissful joy on her face that made Jackie want to chug the glass of champagne in her hand.

"Baby," She turned and smiled at Hyde, who was holding up two bubbly glasses. "You feeling better?"

She down her glass and took one of the fresh glasses from his hand. "I feel a bit better now."

Hyde smirked and gently ran his thumb over her cheek. "Aw. My girlfriend is becoming an alcoholic."

Jackie scoffed and pushed his hand away, turning back to look at the even bigger crowd around her friend.

"I want a baby." Hyde stared at the back of her head, his eyes widening wildly.

"What's that?" She turned and gave him a blank look. "Ok Mrs. Forman!" He smiled leaned forward, and kissed her cheek. "Have fun beautiful." And at the speed of light he was gone.

She scoffed again. "Typical."

---

"It seems like just yesterday she was holding your face down on the ground and screaming obscenities at you." Eric sighed. "Memories."

Hyde stared at his best friend, leaning into his old, faithful chair. "That was two and a half years ago. We really did make a beautiful best man and maid of honor."

"Too bad you two still hated each other."

"Thank god for alcohol." Hyde stated, raising his glass. "I really should thank you and Donna for getting us back together."

"It's not like we did anything." Eric stated, eyeing his friend. "You and Jackie were the ones that got drunk and did it in the backseat of the limo."

"And," Hyde held up a finger. "The floor of her apartment, and her bathroom counter."

Eric simply stared at Hyde, an admiration shining through the disgust. "When exactly did the alcohol start wearing off?"

"Um, I want to say the floor." Hyde nodded, looking up in thought. "Man, was she angry the next morning though."

"Pf, what do you care?" Eric shrugged. "Two weeks later you two were once again that happy, perfect little couple."

"I was on probation for four months. We didn't have sex for _four _months."

"You guys had had sex three times, two weeks prior." Both men had raised voices, and were staring at each other in annoyance. Hyde was the first to look away, throwing his arms in the air.

"How do we always get into this conversation?"

"I guess it's still shocking you two are together." There was still some hostility in Eric's voice. Not that it mattered, silence filled the space for a few minutes, as they cooled down and drank their liquor.

"Are you excited about having a baby?" Hyde asked quietly. Eric tilted his head to one side and then the other.

"Yeah, I guess so. Donna is, like, whoa. For all her feminist ways and _I'm a workaholic_ persona, she is like, exploding with excitement. She baby proofed the entire house." Eric made a face. "I couldn't open the cabinets all of last week!"

"That," Hyde shook his head, raising his glass to his lips. "Doesn't even shock me."

"ERIC!" The two turned and watched as Fez, who was a _little_ buzzed, zoomed down the stairs, clutching on to Eric in a tight embrace.

"UM!" Eric froze in his friend's arms, looks of plea danced across his face. "Fez, buddy, let go."

"OH! ERIC! You're going to be a daddy!" As Fez pulled away it was evident that he had stared crying. Hyde stared at the foreign man with disgust as Eric looked scared. "My Eric, is no longer my captain!"

As Fez started to sob, Kelso walked down the stairs, shaking his head. Hyde looked at Kelso, gesturing to the emotional wreck that sat next to Eric, who was edging himself towards the other end of the couch.

"I might have given him a _wee_," Kelso held his thumb and fore-finger slightly apart. "Bit too much Jerry Sailor."

"Fez can't handle rum, Kelso." Hyde stated, glaring at his friend. "He can't handle more then a handful of beers, you idiot."

"He wanted to try some of my soda."

"With Rum?" Eric asked, eyeing his friend. Kelso nodded his head slowly. "Jesus Kelso."

"What?"

"So," Hyde cleared his throat, giving a dismissive gesture towards Kelso. "Your wife is the most popular person at that party."

Eric smirked, leaning against the farthest part of the couch, far away from a still crying Fez. "Let me guess, my mom and Jackie, jealous as shit."

"Jackie's ready to drink your house away." Hyde smirked. Kelso nodded his head, moving to sit on the freezer.

"Your mom had that weird smile, you know, that creepy looking one."

Eric nodded his head, smacking his lips together. "Yeah. They're just jealous that my baby is the ringleader of the circus."

Hyde scoffed. "Jackie is jealous that she's not pregnant. Or engaged. Or, well, anything. She started ranting and raving last week about never getting married and living as a poor man's Wendy, or some shit as that ."

Eric and Kelso stared at him.

"What?" Hyde leaned back into his chair.

"Dude, like, you know," Eric sighed and looked over to Kelso who immediately put his hands up. "You and Jackie have been officially back together, for the third time I might add, for two years."

"So?" Hyde looked at Eric and then turned to Kelso.

"Well," The tallest man placed his hand to the back of his head, a sympathetic expression across his brow. "Hyde, man, it's not like we're eighteen and too young, ya know. You're twenty five. Isn't it about time you, I don't know, thought about marriage and families and all of that shit?"

Hyde stared at his goofy friend, then turned to his sobbing foreign friend, and finally stared at his skinny friend. All three, or well, all two of them had the same look on their face. He knew that look because he had received that look when Mrs. Forman handed him the letter Jackie wrote before running off to Chicago. He had received that look when he returned from Vegas. And he was haunted by that look as Sam paraded around in Jackie's territory. It was a look that was mixed with accusation, pity, and reprimand.

"Jackie really doesn't care." Hyde shrugged, dragging his eyes away from Eric's face. "This is the first time she's even talked about marriage. And the whole baby thing is just, like, envy or whatever." Hyde shook his head and folded his arms. "We're suppose to be celebrating Christmas Eve and the upcoming birth of Eric's first child."

Eric looked over at Kelso and shrugged. He smirked and leaned back into his chair, allowing his arms to stretch behind his head.

"So, boob-wise, Samantha or Jeanie?"

---

Jackie was washing random glasses as Donna sat at the kitchen, glowing like a candle on the high holy days. Frankly, it was all just a load of crap. No one could be this happy just by having a baby. Certainly not Ms. Donna, anyway.

At least these were the musings of one Jackie Burkhart as she scrubbed the glass in her hand to a new level of shine.

"Isn't it all exciting?" She looked up to see the smiling face of her friend. A friend who had been much more amusing three months ago when her hormones were out of control and she was throwing shoes and hangers at her husband. A friend who not only made her husband sleep on the couch because she wanted the whole bed, but also made him run out at four in the morning to buy her Klondike bars and salted peanuts. A friend who was just plain entertaining.

Now, now all that was left was smiles and 'I can't wait's and 'it's so exciting's.

Stupid baby joy.

Hyde walked up the stairs and smiled at the scene of his girlfriend and friend in the kitchen. Eric was directly behind him. And Kelso was coaxing Fez up towards the stairs.

"I bet you can't wait to have one." Hyde groaned as Eric shot past him, jumping in front of Donna with a protective glitter in his eye.

"What?" Jackie's tone was completely flat, her hands moving slowly into the soapy water; the glass she was shining drowning silently.

"Jackie, baby, sweetie." Hyde gave a large grin to Donna, grabbed his girlfriend's shoulders, and led her out of the kitchen. The last thing he heard as the door swung shut was Kelso's voice, full of confusion, asking where they (Hyde and Jackie) were going.

"She did not," Jackie hissed. "Just tell me that I can't wait."

"It's a figure of speech." Hyde whispered through his grin. He shoved her out the front door, shutting it with barely a sound behind him. "Jackie, come on. She's seven and a half months pregnant. She's excited."

"I should be having a baby too, Steven." Jackie pointed to her self. She let out a scream, and allowed her pointed finger to fly away from her, forming a semi-circle around her, and almost hitting him in the chest. "I should be married, engaged, something!"

"I thought you were happy with the way things were going." There was no raised voice or malice tone. Just genuine thought.

"Because I wasn't bringing it up?" There was a rhetorical feel to the question and Hyde gently brought his lips in, forming a lipless line on his face. "Of course I wouldn't bring it up, Steven. Do you think I want you to leave again?"

"I thought you were over this." He stated quietly, his lips venturing to the surface.

Jackie shook her head, throwing her hands up. "I am not doing this." Her tone was flat, and her hair shook with her head. "I'm not having this same conversation. It's been two years. I've been the doting girlfriend. The housekeeper. The perfect little angel. I've played my part of not being the nag. When are you going to step it up, and play the part of a loving man?" Her head had stopped shaking, and her eyes were tear free.

"Jacks." She gave a small smile, nodding her head. White dust started to fall from the heavens. Hyde looked up, sighed, and then looked back down at his girlfriend.

"It's fine, Steven. I'm just," She shrugged, side stepping from him to get to the front door. "I'm just tired." And, just like that, Jackie slipped back into the party.

"Great." Hyde mumbled, taking a step down, just to sit on the top stair.

---

Red opened the door, noticing Hyde's back. He rolled his eyes and mouthed an obscenity. Clearing his throat, he took a step onto the porch, closing the door with a slight force.

"Hi Red." Hyde stated, not turning around. The aging man mouthed another obscenity. Why, oh why, did _he_ always get roped into _talking_ to _them_?

"Problems with the Mrs.?" Red asked, stuffing his one hand in his pant pocket and taking a swing from the beer bottle in his other hand.

"Yeah, she's not the Mrs." Hyde countered. He shifted and looked up at the man that had been more his father then either Bud or W.B.. "Does it ever get easier?"

"Ha!" Red chuckled. "You pray to god it never changes. Because they could be a whole lot more crazy then what we have."

"That's," Hyde scoffed and turned back to staring ahead of himself. "That's actually, completely, unhelpful."

"Yeah, well." Red shrugged, taking another swig of beer. "Why haven't you proposed yet?"

"What's with everyone and proposing?" Hyde asked.

"I don't know. Kind of keeps them off your back, you know?" Red smirked. His smirked seemed to diminish as Hyde stayed silent below them. "Oh, jesus. I'm wearing gray pants, don't make this any more difficult then it has to be. The step is cold and wet." When Hyde still didn't produce a response, Red cursed and mumbled the entire time as he took a step down and sat. "You're a real pain in the ass."

"I figured you would have gone back inside."

"Please remember I have my own crazy, Steven." Red quickly looked over his shoulder, a look out of sorts for his wife. "First rule of thumb, they're never, ever crazy. They could be breaking your stuff or drinking to kingdom come, they're never crazy."

Hyde laughed. "Donna's not crazy."

"Well," Red took a swig of beer. "Neither is Kitty or Jackie. They are, however, emotional."

"What does that mean?" Hyde smirked, looking over to Red.

The balding man gave him a tight look and then focused on the street in front of them. "Means you do what they ask, when they ask it. You see, Steven, I lost the battle, a long time ago. I've been married, since forever. You just kind of nod your head and do what they say. Saves time and usually money. But you," Red sucked in a breath. "You have years and years, my boy. The road you're going down, with Jackie at the wheel, is a very treacherous road."

"What makes you think Jackie's behind the wheel?" Hyde asked.

"That is a ring box in your pocket, right?" Red smirked as Hyde's jaw dropped.

"Eric was right. You are God."

Red shrugged. "How long have you had it?"

Hyde stared at his surrogate father and then back down to the step. He cocked his head to the side and then the other. He began tapping his heels, folding his fingers together. There was an urge to pray.

"Eight months."

Honestly, no one could have anticipated the smack to Hyde's head or the force Red would have used. But before Hyde knew what was what, his hand found the back of his head and the building bump, and his eyes widen towards the man next to him.

"RED!"

"Eight months? _Eight months_? And I had to come out here and get my pants wet! You're another dumb-ass!" Red shifted himself back to face the street, drinking the rest of his beer. "You're just like Eric. 'Should I ask her to marry me again?' 'I love her so much.' 'Do you think she would say yes?' 'What if she ditches me this time?' Drove me to the brink of murder." Red shook his head, eyeing Hyde dangerously. "Do you want me to shove my foot up your ass? Eight months. That girl should kill you."

"What if I'm not the one Red?" Hyde moved a foot away from the man sitting next to him. His hand remained on the back of his head. "What if the perfect guy for Jackie is right around the corner? The guy with the good job, and the great paycheck, and the big house? The guy she deserves?"

Brown eyes stared at the man who seemed less like a man and more like the eight year old little boy that use to come and play basketball with Eric. Flashbacks of two dirty boys playing together; three rowdy pre-teens running around like wildebeests; three boys and girl who acted like a boy playing basket ball in the driveway; Eric's first date with Donna; Hyde hitting that guy at the barbeque; Eric's wedding; Hyde's dance with Jackie at the reception. All of it pasted across Red's eyes as he stared at the man sitting next to him. The boy that was tough on the outside and fragile to no one, not even himself. The boy who never had anything he deserved.

"Steven," Red sighed and began mumbling a long line of obscenities. "Jackie deserves exactly what she has. You know that. She knows that. Everyone in that damn house knows that. Now, you can be a dumb-ass or a kettle head, I'll let you decide, and stay out here for the rest of the night. Or you can come inside and proposed to the loud one." Red cleared his throat, eying his empty bottle of beer.

"What if she says no?" Hyde smirked as Red started laughing hysterically.

"If she says no, I'll let Kitty adopt a Russian, communist baby."

---

Red walked in, followed closely by Hyde. He started to smile, but dropped it as Kitty held her hand up.

"DON'T MOVE!" She did her infamous laugh and then scurried over to the Christmas tree, grabbed Jackie's wrist, and shoved the tiny girl across the room to the front door. "Mistletoe!"

In perfect sync, the two looked at Kitty and then above their heads, where a full bouquet of mistletoe hung from the ceiling.

"Was that always there?" Jackie asked, suspicion in her voice.

"Yep." Kitty gave a toothy smile. "I hung it there so all the couples would have to kiss in the doorway."

Hyde opened his mouth, but shut it as the memory of coming in through the slider rippled across his brain. Well, that was just fantastic.

"Kiss!" Kitty laughed, looking around, before giving them both a certain _look_. Jackie rolled her eyes, but nevertheless snaked her arms around his neck.

Hyde smirked, leaning down. "Thank god for alcohol."

She giggled, opening her lips in a tiny 'o'. "Cheers to that."

The kiss lasted precisely ninety- three seconds. Kitty counted.

Jackie was the first to pull away and the smile on her face was breath taking. It was the same smile that she had always had. From the first time he'd met her, through all the years he 'hated' her, through all the good moments, and definitely through all the bad moments. Her smile was timeless and completely his. It was _his_ smile. No one could love it, need it, or have to have it, the way he did.

He smiled and went to lower himself down, back to her lips, when the crowded room, staring at them, was remembered. He chuckled and allowed his forehead to press against her forehead.

"Marry me?" It was so soft that Jackie had to strain to here him.

"Under the mistletoe?" Hyde chuckled.

"Under the mistletoe." She giggled and shook her head, their foreheads still touching.

"Steven--"

"Yes or no?"

"Wait." She pulled back, her smile gone, a confused expression on her face. "Are you serious?"

He looked at her and then at the crowded room. He gave the room a smile, held up a finger, and then grabbed Jackie's elbow, pulling her back into the bitter cold.

"Steven! Are you serious?" An exuberant, over the top, can't eat, can't sleep, reach over the stars, type of smile, was creeping across her lips, lightening her eyes.

"Jacks." He smiled, shoving his hands into his pocket. "What do you think?"

Her smile seemed to freeze in a half lit up, half not lit up sort of way. She began shaking her head, looking more like a mad clown then a beautiful girl. "I don't know what to think."

He rolled his eyes, pulling his hands out, slipping something into her hands. "Now what do you think?"

Jackie stared at the box, squealed, and then flew at Hyde, making him tumble into a pile of snow, freshly shoveled that morning.

"Ow. Jackie." Hyde groaned. Not that Jackie cared, or noticed. She was too busy clinging to his neck, words pouring from her lips too quickly for him to fully comprehend. Then again, it could have simply been a concussion.

Steven Hyde was not that lucky.

"We're getting married. And we can have a baby. And we're going to live happily ever after." Jackie grabbed Hyde's cheeks. "I love you so much."

Hyde laughed, moving upwards to capture her lips in his. "I love you too."

"I'm getting married." Her voice was wispy and she stared at the box. "I'm really getting married."

"Now you get something to rub in everyone's face." Jackie's face lit up and tears began building in her eyes.

"Oh, Steven!" She leaned down and kissed him again, her hands tightening around his face.

"Come on doll." He winked at her, watching as she sat up and on top of him.

"You really mean it?" Jackie asked, the box securely in her hands.

"I really mean it." A loud celebration was heard from inside the house. Or, well, the sound of Kitty screaming and possibly Fez screaming was heard from inside the house.

Jackie smirked, shaking her head. "Kitty and those bionic ears of hers."

Hyde chuckled, standing up. He was half way up when the front door flew open and Fez threw himself on top of the curly haired man, pushing Hyde, and himself into the snow.

"OH! My Hyde is getting married!" Hyde looked disgusted and disgruntled as his foreign friend started crying into his jacket.

"Kelso!" Hyde shouted, as Jackie giggled. Kitty and Kelso bounced out. Kitty grabbed Jackie's wrists and started jumping up and down.

"We're getting married! We're getting married!" Eric and Donna both stood at the door way smiling.

"What?" Kelso stared down at Hyde and Fez. "Yeah, I might have given him just a _little_ more rum." Kelso's forefinger and thumb were once again held up.

"Kelso," Hyde sneered. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Well," Kelso started, but then began to sprint down the stairs, tripping, and falling into another snow bank to the side of the walk. "My eye!"

Jackie laughed, looking down at her fiancé. "I'll meet _you_ under the mistletoe."

Hyde rolled his eyes and looked at Fez who was eyeing Eric with tears in his eyes.

"My Eric and my Hyde are leaving me!"

Hyde looked at Jackie, gesturing towards their foreign friend.

"Fine," She smirked and winked. "Fez can meet you under the mistletoe." And, with an extra bounce in her step, Jackie made her way inside, followed by a clapping and laughing Kitty, and a beaming Donna.

"Terrific." Hyde stated, staring at Fez sobbing, Kelso in the snow, and a smirking Eric on the porch.

Red opened the door, took a step out, stared at three in the snow, turned to look at Eric, and then shoved his son into the bank next to Hyde and Fez. "Talk to them. Pf," Red shook his head, walking back into the house. "Let the snow talk to them. Getting my pants all wet for, what?"

"See Fez." Eric stated, spitting snow from his mouth. "We'll always be together."

"Wet and cold." Hyde murmured. Fez threw his hand up in a charge, like fashion.

"WET AND COLD."

Kelso looked over to his friends and gave a wide grin, holding a hand over his right eye. "Merry Christmas?"


End file.
